Comets second in state tournament

SPARKS - Even in a double elimination tournament, losing an opening round game is never the route any team desires to take.

The Nevada Comets stumbled out of the blocks Saturday morning, but recovered and came back through the losers bracket to earn runner-up honors in their 14-and-under age group bracket at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) State Tournament.

After losing their opening round game to Las Vegas Blast, 7-0, the Comets came back to defeat six straight opponents over two days and earn another shot at the Blast in the championship round on Sunday afternoon at Shadow Mountain Sports Complex. The Blast won the rematch, 14-0, to complete a weekend in which they won five straight games without allowing a run.

The Comets, whose record now stands 34-8, also earned the right to play in the ASA Regionals next month in Pleasanton, Calif., as well as the National Softball Association Regionals Aug. 10-15 in Kennewick, Wash. It was a moral victory of sorts, according to coach Jim Puzey.

"After losing that first game, the girls knew their backs were up against the wall. They knew they had to win five straight games to get to regionals and they had to win six straight to get to the finals, and they just stepped up and got the job done," Puzey said.

One of the big highlights came Sunday morning when the Comets secured their berth in the finals with a 1-0 victory against Nevada Lightning. Brittany Puzey pitched the distance, allowed one hit and struck out nine.

The Comets scored the only run they would need in the first inning. Kaycee Wilcks drew a full-count walk to lead off the inning, advanced to second on Tasha McCann's sacrifice bunt and scored on Ashley Hartley's base hit.

The Comets still had to withstand a couple of rallies from the Lightning.

Brittany Puzey rang up back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the third inning with runners on second and third. Then with one out in the seventh, Hartley gloved a shot at third base and caught a Lightning runner off second base with her throw to Devon Bateman. The next batter hit a low liner down the right field line that Kayla Dunn caught to end the game.

In two earlier games on Sunday, the Comets scored an 8-2 victory against Las Vegas Genesis and 10-0 shutout against the Reno Crusaders. Dunn pitched three-hit ball and struck out six while Andrea Lazzari homered as the Comets beat Genesis, and Amanda Carvin hurled a three-hit shutout at the Crusaders. Carvin posted three victories on the weekend.

Stevie Smith, Cassie Smith, Missy Kaplan, Daphne and Devon Bateman, McCann, Lazzari, Dunn, Hartley and Puzey all contributed to the Comets' 13-hit attack against the Crusaders. Defensively, catcher Katie Davis also came up with a diving catch of a pop foul in that game.

On Saturday, the Comets rallied to beat the Reno Diamonds, 10-6. The Comets scored three runs in their final at-bat to tie the score, 5-5, and went on to win in extra innings.

Carvin also pitched a 13-0 shutout at the Fallon Sonics. Stevie Smith hit 3-for-3 while McCann went 2-for-2 with a double in the Comets' 13-1 win over the Nevada Hurricane.

The Comets return to action this weekend in the Fourth of July Explosion Tournament in Fairfield, Calif.

10-and-under

The Comets 10-and-under squad won one of three games to finish second in its age bracket at the state tournament.

Candice Rutledge pitched the little Comets to a 6-3 win over Reno Lightning, while Kayla Sanchez and Samantha Puzey contributed offensively.